Would you pay $10,000 to double your mileage?

[Ron C]

Would you pay $10,000 to double your mileage?

Soon drivers will be able to get at least double the gas mileage of a Toyota Prius hybrid, thanks to a spate of new aftermarket kits that convert any car into a plug-in electric vehicle. But they’ll have to pay upwards of $10,000 to do so.

I don't know if this has been posted anywhere yet but someone is going to be selling a kit to make your Prius get 100mpg, cost about $10,000.

Not worth it to me, plus it will probably void your warranty.





New kits can turn your car into a hybrid - ForbesAutos.com - MSNBC.com

[jammin012]

Are you kidding, I just paid $27K to double my mileage. Jaguar X-Type to Toyota Prius, what's $10K?

[rwyckoff]

Only in America, do you find everybody wanting to throw mid East oil back into their faces, curb global warming, OH, but I won't do it unless I can save money too!

As a member of the "Baby Boomer" generation I can't help but remember how my parents generation fought the facists, and Comunists to make the world safe for Democracy, while the only thing my generation will be remembered for is the invention of "Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll". I know, a bit of an exageration.

but I think anybody on this forum who has purchased a Prius for the right reasons, should also, if they can afford it, turn their Prius into a plug in, and maybe even put a solar system on their roof so that it can be charged with electricity that hasn't required combustion to be derived. The combination of Plug in Prius and Solar power can be paid off in around 15 years. Perhaps a better investment for Family, Culture, Country, and Civilization than investing that 30,000 dollars in the Stock Market. Thanks-

Ron

[minkforce1]

i'd pay $35,000 to outright buy a new plug in prius, but to convert mine? i'll wait till it dies and get a new one

[pewd]

>"...expects half of the ... kits will have problems..."

so - spend $10k to have a 50% chance of risking my $25k investment in the prius?
hm, i don't think so...

now if the kits turn out to be , say, 95% reliable - and won't void my warranty - then, maybe.

[Ron C]

Originally Posted by rwyckoff

Only in America, do you find everybody wanting to throw mid East oil back into their faces, curb global warming, OH, but I won't do it unless I can save money too!

As a member of the "Baby Boomer" generation I can't help but remember how my parents generation fought the facists, and Comunists to make the world safe for Democracy, while the only thing my generation will be remembered for is the invention of "Sex, Drugs, and Rock'n'Roll". I know, a bit of an exageration.

but I think anybody on this forum who has purchased a Prius for the right reasons, should also, if they can afford it, turn their Prius into a plug in, and maybe even put a solar system on their roof so that it can be charged with electricity that hasn't required combustion to be derived. The combination of Plug in Prius and Solar power can be paid off in around 15 years. Perhaps a better investment for Family, Culture, Country, and Civilization than investing that 30,000 dollars in the Stock Market. Thanks-

Ron

Who's too say what the right reason is to buy a Prius, except for the person buying it.

They burn a lot of coal here to make our electricity is that safer and cleaner then gas emissions? We have months of very little or no light solar panels would not be to effective or efficient ether.

To be honest my reason for buying the Prius was motivated by economics not the environment. Am I glade that it is better for our environment, yes, but I didn't buy it for that reason.

[rwyckoff]

You have to remember that the # one aim in the design of the Prius was to reduce emissions. Prius engineers sacrificed gas too reduce emissions as quickly as possible.

The job and risk of being an early adoptor is too show everybody else that this is a good way to go, PHEV's are going to work! Or maybe not.

I have worked with the batteries that are going into the Hymotion pack for two years now. I have ruined 6 or more of them with abuse and I have seen a few infant deaths. A123 has gotten good info from their application into the Dewalt 36V power tools, and their intelligent chargers are well done and are conservative. After seeing what these cells have gone through with the motorcycle dragster heating them up to boiling temps several hundred times without a single failure gives me the confidence that the conservative application in the Prius won't be a problem.

The Hymotion pack in the Prius is capable of putting out 150kw but will only have to provide 22kw and then only for a few seconds, and they are capable of being recharged in two minutes, but will take four and a half hours to charge in the Prius.
This very concervative application will ensure long life of this battery pack. I think the problems will be very few, and taken care of with the Hymotion warranty.

Can the Prius take the extra electric operation? Will the engine stay lubricated with less use? These are the real questions. Also, I have to agree, waiting for a PHEV to be fully designed by a competent manufacturer is a much safer way to go. And maybe you will be encouraged by the thousands of cobbled together Prius PHEV's running around years before will give you the confidence to buy one of th new manufactured ones. Good luck to us early adopors! Thanks-

Ron

PS- Yes, I agree living in Alaska is not the best place for solar. Here in Arizona we like to get something more out of the Sun than skin cancer. And ofcourse you have to have your own house to take advantage of developing your own electricity too. Come on down here Ron C. and warm up, take advantage of the marvelous sun!

[Ron C]

[quote=rwyckoff;643844]You have to remember that the # one aim in the design of the Prius was to reduce emissions. Prius engineers sacrificed gas too reduce emissions as quickly as possible.

The job and risk of being an early adoptor is too show everybody else that this is a good way to go, PHEV's are going to work! Or maybe not.

I have worked with the batteries that are going into the Hymotion pack for two years now. I have ruined 6 or more of them with abuse and I have seen a few infant deaths. A123 has gotten good info from their application into the Dewalt 36V power tools, and their intelligent chargers are well done and are conservative. After seeing what these cells have gone through with the motorcycle dragster heating them up to boiling temps several hundred times without a single failure gives me the confidence that the conservative application in the Prius won't be a problem.

The Hymotion pack in the Prius is capable of putting out 150kw but will only have to provide 22kw and then only for a few seconds, and they are capable of being recharged in two minutes, but will take four and a half hours to charge in the Prius.
This very concervative application will ensure long life of this battery pack. I think the problems will be very few, and taken care of with the Hymotion warranty.

Can the Prius take the extra electric operation? Will the engine stay lubricated with less use? These are the real questions. Also, I have to agree, waiting for a PHEV to be fully designed by a competent manufacturer is a much safer way to go. And maybe you will be encouraged by the thousands of cobbled together Prius PHEV's running around years before will give you the confidence to buy one of th new manufactured ones. Good luck to us early adopors! Thanks-

Ron

PS- Yes, I agree living in Alaska is not the best place for solar. Here in Arizona we like to get something more out of the Sun than skin cancer. And ofcourse you have to have your own house to take advantage of developing your own electricity too. Come on down here Ron C. and warm up, take advantage of the marvelous sun![/quote]

It's to hot for me there and we are getting almost 24 hours of sun right now! and in the 70's. Unfortunately that won't last. Arizona is to hot for me!

[snowdog650]

Originally Posted by rwyckoff

but I think anybody on this forum who has purchased a Prius for the right reasons,

The only reason I bought mine is because I got it for $5500 off MSRP 3 days before the tax credit went from 50% to 25%, so I got another $750 in savings. This was in March 2007.

I bought the thing on a whim in about 3 hours. Previous to that I never even considered the Priss as an option.

So is that a "right" reason to buy the thing?

Get off your high horse long enough to see how the real world works.

[icarus]

Originally Posted by snowdog650

The only reason I bought mine is because I got it for $5500 off MSRP 3 days before the tax credit went from 50% to 25%, so I got another $750 in savings. This was in March 2007.

I bought the thing on a whim in about 3 hours. Previous to that I never even considered the Priss as an option.

So is that a "right" reason to buy the thing?

Get off your high horse long enough to see how the real world works.

WE bought ours at the same time. It was the best time ever to get one. No wait, great deal. I paid $2000 less for a pkg 6 than my sister did for a pkg 4 a month earlier. She got the $1500 tax credit, we only got $750 boo-hoo!

I bet we could get $5k more for it now then when we bought it!

Icarus